ECO4 ends 31 December 2026 — what replaces it
ECO4 has been extended once, to 31 December 2026, so suppliers can finish existing targets and fix faulty installs only. There are no new targets, no carry-over and no ECO5. The Great British Insulation Scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2026.
In England the replacement for low-income households is the Warm Homes: Local Grant — a £500m scheme delivered by councils and their appointed installers from April 2025 to March 2028, for privately owned and privately rented homes rated EPC D to G where the council is taking part. Owner-occupiers can have insulation, heating and solar fully funded. Tenants pay nothing; a landlord gets one home fully funded, then contributes 50% from the second.
One of these three routes must apply:
- Household income of £36,000 a year or less before tax; or
- Someone in the home gets one of: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance; or
- The home is in a postcode the government lists as among the most deprived (IMD deciles 1–2).
On top of one of those routes, the home must be rated EPC D to G and you must be an owner-occupier or a private tenant (with your landlord's consent — rented homes rated F or G need a registered MEES exemption). Social housing is not eligible.
Over 97% of eligible councils in England (271) are funded to deliver it, but funding and timing vary by area, and your council will usually contact you within 10 working days of a referral.
Check the Warm Homes route for your home →You can also apply directly through the government's checker on GOV.UK.
Not eligible, or paying yourself? The Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump for most homeowners replacing fossil-fuel heating in England and Wales, with no income test and no EPC needed since 28 April 2026 (£9,000 for an air or ground source heat pump in oil- or LPG-heated homes with no mains gas connection, until 31 March 2027). The £150 Warm Home Discount comes off your electricity bill again this winter, and if you are buying solar, 0% VAT applies until 31 March 2027 — get a solar quote from one MCS-certified installer. Need a like-for-like gas boiler? The Warm Homes: Local Grant cannot fund new gas boilers, so outside ECO4 you would pay an installer’s quote — ask your council about any emergency heating fund.
Disabled people in the UK can access several energy grants in 2026. Disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance do not qualify on their own: what counts for ECO4 and the £150 Warm Home Discount is a means-tested benefit, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). With one, insulation and boiler replacements through ECO4 can be fully funded for eligible households (the installer may ask for a top-up). According to DESNZ (2024), 13.4% of UK households are in fuel poverty, with disabled households disproportionately affected due to higher energy needs. The ECO4 scheme runs until 31 December 2026.
Energy Grants Available to Disabled People
If you live with a disability and receive certain benefits, you can access multiple energy grants and support schemes in 2026. Disability benefits such as PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance do not qualify on their own for the main energy efficiency programmes; you also need a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA. Here's a summary of what's available:
| Scheme | What You Get | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| ECO4 | Funded insulation, boilers, heat pumps | A means-tested benefit (PIP, DLA or Attendance Allowance alone do not qualify) |
| GBIS | Closed 31 March 2026 | Was: council tax bands A-D (no benefits needed) |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 off electricity bill | Disability benefit + means-tested benefit |
| Winter Fuel Payment | £200-£300/year | State Pension age + qualifying benefit |
| Priority Services Register | Priority support from energy supplier | Any disability, chronic illness, or additional need |
| Disabled Facilities Grant | Up to £30,000 for home adaptations | Disabled residents (means-tested) |
ECO4 — Free Home Improvements Through Disability Benefits
ECO4 is Great Britain's main energy efficiency scheme, running until 31 December 2026. If someone in your home receives a qualifying means-tested benefit (disability benefits such as PIP, DLA or Attendance Allowance do not count on their own), or your council refers you through LA Flex, these home improvements can be fully funded for eligible households (the installer may ask for a top-up):
- Loft insulation — save up to £590/year on energy bills
- Cavity wall insulation — save up to £395/year
- Solid wall insulation — save up to £475/year
- Boiler replacement — new A-rated condensing boiler
- Air source heat pump — low-carbon heating system
- Underfloor insulation — for suspended timber floors
Which Disability Benefits Qualify for ECO4?
None of these disability benefits qualifies for ECO4 on its own. What counts is a means-tested benefit (such as Universal Credit energy grants, Income Support, Housing Benefit energy grants, or Pension Credit). These disability benefits do not count by themselves:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) — daily living or mobility component
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) — care or mobility component
- Attendance Allowance — higher or lower rate
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) — contribution-based ESA does not count; income-related ESA is means-tested and does qualify
On Attendance Allowance alone? Attendance Allowance by itself is not an ECO4 qualifying benefit — you'll usually need a means-tested benefit too (such as Pension Credit), or a council ECO4 Flex referral. Our guide to getting a free boiler with Attendance Allowance explains every route in detail.
Your home must have an EPC rating requirements of D or below. Most older properties in the UK meet this requirement. Check your eligibility now.
Important: If you receive income-related ESA (support group), you qualify for ECO4 without needing any additional benefit. Income-related ESA is a means-tested benefit in its own right. If you receive contribution-based ESA, you will need an additional qualifying benefit.
Warm Home Discount — £150 Off Your Electricity Bill
The Warm Home Discount provides a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill each winter. For winter 2026-27 you qualify if you get a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA on 23 August 2026. A disability benefit on its own does not qualify. In England and Wales it is usually applied automatically using DWP data.
If you receive Pension Credit alongside your disability benefit, you should receive the discount automatically.
Priority Services Register — Free Support for Disabled People
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free service that everyone with a disability should know about. It's not a grant, but it provides vital support from your energy supplier and local network operator. Once registered, you receive:
- Priority support during power cuts — your supply is restored first
- Advance notice of planned outages — so you can prepare
- Accessible communications — bills in large print, braille, or audio
- Meter reading appointments — at times that suit you
- Nominee scheme — a trusted person can manage your account
- Password protection — to verify anyone visiting your home is genuine
To join the Priority Services Register, contact your energy supplier directly. Registration is free and there are no eligibility checks — you simply need to have a disability, chronic illness, or additional communication needs.
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) — Now Closed
Before it closed, GBIS offered free insulation even without any disability benefit or means-tested benefit. If your home was in council tax band energy grants A-D, you could get free loft or cavity wall insulation regardless of income. The GOV.UK referral service for GBIS closed on 31 March 2026 — if you don't qualify for ECO4, check the LA Flex scheme and the Warm Homes: Local Grant instead.
Disabled Facilities Grant — Home Adaptations
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) provides up to £30,000 in England (£36,000 in Wales) for essential home adaptations. While this primarily covers accessibility improvements such as ramps, stairlifts, and wet rooms, it can also fund heating system improvements where they are essential to your disability needs — for example, upgrading an inadequate heating system that affects your health.
Apply through your local council's housing or environmental health team. The grant is means-tested for adults but not for children.
How to Apply for Energy Grants
The quickest way to check your eligibility for all available energy grants is to use our postcode checker. You'll need:
- Your postcode
- Details of which benefits you receive
- Your energy supplier name
- Whether you own or rent your home
If you're a tenant, your landlord will need to give consent for any work to be carried out, but you can start the application yourself.